Faulconer pushes for managed competition

Councilman asks new mayor to proceed with program

City Councilman Kevin Faulconer sent a memo Monday to Mayor Bob Filner urging him to move forward on several managed competitions next month that would pit city workers against private contractors to provide certain services.

The memo came a day after the U-T San Diego reported that Filner plans to halt the controversial practice of managed competition because he wants to review how the services that have already gone through the process have fared before pushing ahead with more.

Faulconer said the city recently issued an update on managed competition that showed an annual savings of $12.2 million once the winning bids from five previous competitions are fully implemented.

“Managed competition is an essential streamlining tool, critical to San Diego’s financial turnaround and continued stability,” Faulconer wrote. “Any delay in implementation could cost the city millions of dollars that would otherwise be directed toward core city services and future budget uncertainties.”

Five additional competitions await action by Filner and the City Council, from transportation engineering operations to trash collection. Faulconer asked that each be docketed for hearings before the City Council or its rules committee in January.

The Mayor’s Office didn’t respond to a request for comment. In an earlier interview, Filner expressed skepticism of managed competition because service levels appear to be suffering after winning bids were implemented. “I almost want to call it mismanaged cuts, not managed competition,” he said.

The managed competition program was approved by voters in 2006 but was held up by tense labor negotiations over a rule book to implement it. A deal was finally reached in 2010 on the rules, which call for private bidders to show at least a 10 percent savings over bids from city workers in order to qualify for selection.

So far, the services to go through the program are publishing services, fleet maintenance, street sweeping, Miramar Landfill operations and street and sidewalk maintenance.